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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Review Day and GIVEAWAYS

Hi, all! Today is a review day, and I have 3 products to share with you. I'm really excited, because I'm also hosting two giveaways! Let's get to it.

The first review (and giveaway!) is for Be Pawsitive, a monthly treat box subscription. One neat thing about them is that for every treat box you get, they donate one box to a shelter or rescue. They call this a "buy one, give one" program. The treats are 100% natural, certified organic, small batch baked, and wheat free, not to mention they're made in the USA. They also include either a gift card, sponsored product or discount code as a bonus gift.

DM: I have NO CLUE what iPhoto did with all the photos from this review, but I can only find this one of the bandanna with the logo on it. So annoying!

PROS:
Natural

Organic

Small batched baked

Wheat free

Buy one, give one

Bonus gift

CONS:Dachshund Mommy: A big con for us is that you don't get to choose the type of bonus gift you get. Our box contained a $25 dollar gift card to Rover.com, which helps you find a dog boarder. I do not board my dogs, so this is useless to me. If anyone wants the gift card, feel free to email us and we'll send it to you.
It is a little expensive

Overall, we give them 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.GIVEAWAY DETAILS!!!! Be Pawsitive offered to giveaway 1 treat box to one lucky winner. Just comment below and tell me where your dog sleeps, and leave your email address if it's not available on your blog. If you'd like to earn an extra entry, like them on here or follow them on Twitter here. Winner will be picked on Friday.

Next up is a review for Epic Pet Health, a company that makes health supplements for dogs and cats. Here's a bit about them:

My name is Lucas. I’m an 18 year old Maltese Poodle mix. I may be old, but I’m tougher than you think. I’ve had arthritis and allergies for a long time. Aunt Amy started making spray supplements to help me feel better. The first time she gave me Relief for my back pain, I felt so good that I walked around the house for 45 minutes. I will always have arthritis, but now it doesn’t hurt so much.

Amy is a civil engineer and a holistic chiropractor, whatever that means. She really likes helping animals feel better. Her supplements don’t smell or taste bad and there isn’t a pill to take. The supplements are made of diluted vitamins and minerals in water with electrolytes. At first she was only putting them in my food and water, but when she also sprayed my body it made me feel even better. I have a friend that doesn’t like to be sprayed, so his mom uses the dropper top.

In the morning, she sprays my face with Clear which really helps my ‘old dog cough’ and allergies. She sprays my legs and rear end with Legs so I can get up easier and turn around without falling, and now I am walking on my toes again. She also sprays me with Eye, Skin, and Relief.

Aunt Amy started making supplements for other dogs and cats who needed help too, not just older pets. She developed a whole line of supplements which help you feel calmer, younger and less itchy.

If you would like to know more about my story and the supplements, please read my blog. You can also like me on facebook.

They offer the following supplements in both spray and dropper form:

Align (for spine health)

Balance (improves balance and stability)

Bones (for healthy bones)

Calm (calming, obviously)

Clarity (improves mental processes)

Clear (helps with allergies)

Digest (healthy digestion)

Eye (helps with sensitive eyes)

Fur (promotes fur regrowth)

Gain (weight gaining)

Happy (improves mood)

Heat (improves circulation)

Immune (for immune system)

Kidney

Legs (for strong legs and hips)

Massage (relaxes muscle)

Power (strong joints)

Relief (for muscle and joint pain relief)

Repair (immune boosting and helps with aches and pains)

Revive (increases energy)

Sleep

Skin (healthy skin and coat)

Teeth (supports healthy teeth)

Tummy (relieves stomach pain and nausea)

Vitality (provides energy and promotes mobility in older pets)

I was sent Gain (for Boston), Calm, Align and Repair. I have tested them all, except Repair as we're all good that way. You can spray the supplements onto food or water, and on the skin to proved maximum effect.
I can confidently say that all the supplements work. Boston has always struggled to keep weight on, and she's never looked this good. The Calm worked well, too! I'm not sure about the Align, as I thankfully I have no issues there, but it hasn't hurt and makes Mom feel good.

The bottles are glass! How cool.

Here's Boston's before pictures :

Boston eats more than all of us, is worm free, and has no health issues. She's just skinny.

And her after pictures:

I give them 5/5 stars!

And the last review is also a giveaway for Nordic Naturals. Here's a bit about them:Born in Norway “As the evidence behind fish oil continues to grow and drive awareness of the crucial importance of omega-3s to good health, it’s more important than ever to understand how purity, freshness, and structure determine the overall quality of fish oil. I founded Nordic Naturals with the fundamental goal of improving fish oil quality, and today our commitment to innovation remains absolute.” —Joar Opheim, CEO Nordic Naturals was born in Arctic Norway, where founder Joar Opheim grew up and where fish oil is a part of everyday life. When he came to California in the mid-1980s to complete his MBA, Joar was unable to find the quality fish oil he relied on to manage his old gymnastic injuries, and had to consistently bring bottles from Norway—filling his suitcase on trips back and forth. Driven by his Norwegian heritage, knowledge of fish oil, and love of science, Joar was inspired to contribute to advancing fish oil quality and industry standards. Guided by his personal mission to bring high-quality fish oil to the world, Joar has developed several patented fish oil technologies that include flavoring, taste, delivery, and processing—shaping standards for a country and industry that had few guidelines in place. Values-Driven & Research-Based Innovation Bringing forward a new definition of fish oil quality as it relates to purity, freshness, taste, dosage, and sustainability, Nordic Naturals’ leadership has also shifted the model of how to conduct business truthfully and authentically. Nordic Naturals incorporates ethical and socially responsible practices with regard to environmental consciousness, corporate transparency, philanthropic partnerships, and education—all of which are integral to fulfilling our mission of correcting the global omega-3 deficiency. In line with these core values, our dedication to innovation is grounded in scientific research and guaranteed by participation in peer-reviewed clinical studies by leading experts worldwide. With a reputation for efficacy and potency, Nordic Naturals fish oils are regularly chosen by independent research institutions and universities such as Harvard, Columbia, Duke, UCLA, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center—with 25 published studies, and more than 30 in progress. Distributing to over 30 countries on 6 continents, Nordic Naturals offers more than 150 products in a variety of flavors, concentrations, and delivery forms. Nordic Naturals' continued innovation is proof that when values are aligned with action, great things can happen—a commitment that remains absolute.

They make both people and pet supplements, but I obviously got the pet stuff. ;) I was sent their Omega 3 Pet Soft Gels and their Cod Liver Oil for small breeds. Their Omega 3 supplements are available in both soft gel form or in oil form, and the Cod Liver is only available in oil form. They're both available in 3 sizes; 1 for small breeds and cats, 1 for medium to large dogs and one for extra large and multi-dog households.

Why these supplements?:For centuries, canine and feline diets consisted of unprocessed foods rich in EPA and DHA, omega-3 fatty acids derived from algae, plants, and fish. However, most of today’s pet foods contain primarily omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils. Even the highest quality pet diets rarely contain adequate amounts of EPA and DHA. This results in an unbalanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 that can negatively impact the health of our pets.Nordic Naturals offers two omega-3 fish oil formulas that are specifically designed to maximize the health benefits for pet companions.

Being on a home cooked diet, I already have beautiful skin and a super glossy coat. However, I did see a bit of softening in my coat and it was even shinier than before. Mom's been giving me 1 soft gel every other day, since the dosing is 1 gel a day per 25lbs, and I'm under 10lbs. I'm getting the cod liver oil once a week, to avoid a vitamin A overdose. The cod liver oil needs to be refrigerated after opening, but the gels are fine at room temperature.

Nola" "Pftt, no way will I eat that! Can't you see that massive horse pill?!!"

*Shows some hotdog "What pill? I see no pill. Gimme the meat!"

PROS:
Natural
Healthy
Little to no "fishy odor" to the gels
Good prices for the quality
Great customer service
The cod liver oil is tasty!
No stomach upset when Mom added them to my supplement list

CONS:
Very strong odor to the cod liver oilDM: Nola won't eat the soft gels plain, but put it in some meat and she scarfs it down!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Nordic Naturals is offering one lucky winner the following items:

8oz bottle of Omega 3 Pet

a "What's Essential" Nordic Naturals T shirt

a swag bag

This giveaway is open to both the US and Canada! To enter, comment below and tell me what food you eat (either brand, home cooked, or raw) and leave your email addy if it's not available on your blog. To earn an extra entry, like them on Facebook here and/or follow them on Twitter here. Winner will be picked Friday.

Notes on giveaways: if you would like to enter both, just leave the answers to both questions in your comment. Good luck, everyone!

16 comments:

Oh we love contests...Mom is very interested in the holistic sprays she saw that some other doggies are using it also! We are going to check out their page.Okay now for the contest info....simpson_long@yahoo.com and we all eat Blue Sweet Pot/Salmon. Have a great day Nola.Stella Rose

Hey Nola!Wow, what fun products and healthy ones too! You always do really good and thorough reviews. I'd like to enter both...I always sleep on the loveseat in the living room! Very comfy.I get homemade liver kibble and homemade salmon cakes. Delish.Email is lfurman1987ATyahooDOTCOMThanks for hosting!Grr and Woof,Sarge, COP

2. They both eat Nutro Natural Choice Limited Ingredient Diet, although after speaking with my dog trainer, I've decided to change foods. I'm trying to talk Hubs into trying a diet like the one you feed Nola--I would love for Harley and Pebi to be as trim as Nola--and to have such white teeth!!

3. My email address is patience.amber@gmail.com (not sure if it is going to show when I post, so I figured I'd go ahead and type it, just in case!)

Nola, you knows where all the good stuffs is! I sleeps in the big bed every night, as close to mama as possible. And as for foodables, Mama has been trying out a number of organic dogfoodstuffs on me lately. Unfortunately I seems to prefer the "junk" dog foods! I is very fond of Newman's canned dogfoodstuffs though.

Hi Nola!Okays...wesa so wish the middle peeps had a giveaway since some of us'uns have arthritis...but definitely wesa will check them out. Wesa all sleep in bed with our mama...thank dog she sleeps on a Queen-sized bed...and wesa all eat Science Diet Ideal Balance with duck and potato or with chicken and brown rice.Much Luvums,The Slimmer PuggumsGeorge, Gracie, Toby, Lily, & Mimi